Sunday, February 3, 2008

"Willie and The Hand Jive" - Glenn Rivera ReStructure Mix - Rinder and Lewis

• "Willie and The Hand Jive" - Glenn Rivera ReStructure Mix - Rinder and Lewis

Discognosis, El Coco, In Search Of Orchestra, Le Pamplemousse, Saint Tropez, and Tuxedo Junction are disco diehard projects which helped create a formula that we know today as disco music. Laurin Rinder and W. Michael Lewis were the geniuses behind these productions.

Much of the music that Rinder and Lewis created were based on their own experiences of discovering what discotheques and the music creating that was creating te excitement. Their approach obviously was a great one. The ability to utilize their keyboard and synthesizer skills as well as orchestral ensemble completed a well-accepted sound.

"Warriors" was one of their projects which rang true to their formula - it was a blend of disco music's most basic elements and a few of their 50's and 60's influences. "Willie and The Hand Jive" was originally a smash hit in 1958 and started a dance craze for the then dance scene. Rinder and Lewis revive the song in 1979 with pulsating synthesizers and ominous keyboards dripping which bring the song to life once again.

I have taken the track and removed some of the "saint-like" choral segments which always worked mystically for me - but my attempt was to capture the song in a driving essence using the original song as the key. New drum beats and claps (Hand Jive Style) were added to give a new feel to those funky synthesizers.

Dedicated to W. Michael Lewis and Laurin Rinder for their gift to dancers all over time.

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